Russia is preparing to renew flight testing of a high-power flying laser designed to operate as an anti-satellite weapon, the Tass news agency reported. Based on the Ilyushin Il-76MD transport plane the airborne laser laboratory aircraft flew for its first test mission in August 19, 1981. Two aircraft were modified and equipped for the tests that ceased following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

A 30-kilowatt electric fiber laser weapon system successfully disabled the engine of a pickup truck during a recent field test, demonstrating how such weapon grade lasers could be used to protect military forces and critical infrastructure.

The US Navy announced the successfully deployment of the laser weapon system (LaWS) aboard USS Ponce (AFSB[I] 15) that operated with other naval vessel in the Arabian Gulf. During the operational demonstrations that took place from September to November 2014 LaWS intercepted surface targets and unmanned aerial vehicles.

The US Office of Naval Research (ONR) is evaluating the integration of laser weapons as an enhancement for the US Marine Corps’ existing low-altitude air-defense capability, which currently lacks reliable CounterUAS (C-UAS) and Counter Rocket, Artillery and Mortar (CRAM) capabilities. An innovative radar system from RADA is providing surveillance, detection and target acquisition for the laser weapon system

The Lockheed Martin Area Defense Anti-munitions (ADAM) prototype laser weapon system successfully destroyed a rocket target from a range of 1.6 kilometers. The complete engagement - from target acquisition, tracking to illumination and destruction took approximately three seconds.

Rheinmetall Defense has successfully combined a 1-kW and 10-kW laser weapons with advanced air defense system demonstrating the utilization of directed energy weapons in engaging a wide range of a number asymmetric threats. The demonstrator systems were tested at the Ochsenboden proving ground in Switzerland where they destroyed aerial target, floating targets an suspected IEDs.